EX-USD BASKETBALL STAR JOHNSON IN PRISON

Johnson, who played at USD, begins his 6-month sentence in game-fixing case

San Diego 
The University of San Diego’s all-time leading scorer in men’s basketball is officially incarcerated.

Brandon Johnson surrendered to authorities in Houston on Friday to begin serving a six-month prison sentence following his guilty plea in the USD game-fixing case. Johnson was sentenced March 1 in San Diego, but U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia delayed his incarceration so he could finish the season with the youth basketball club he coaches.

Johnson, who has a 5-year-old son, requested assignment to a federal prison in the Houston area so he could be near him. Federal prisoners with sentences under one year are not eligible to receive credit for good behavior and generally serve the entire term.

He was the highest-profile of the 10 defendants indicted in April 2011 as part of a conspiracy that included game fixing, an illegal sports gambling operation and marijuana distribution.

Prosecutors said Johnson fixed as many as four games during the 2009-10 season, his senior year, and unsuccessfully tried to recruit a player on the team to manipulate games the following season.

He pleaded guilty to the recruitment charge, but adamantly denied he fixed any games.

Eight of the original 10 defendants indicted in the case, including Johnson, entered guilty pleas. The other two had their cases dismissed. Six are either in prison or have been released.

Former USD assistant coach T.J. Brown, the intermediary between Johnson and bettors, is scheduled to begin a one-year sentence June 7.

Richard Garmo, one of the bettors, is scheduled to begin a two-year sentence July 12.

Battaglia recently denied a request by Garmo to travel to Jamaica before serving his sentence.